Hillsborough Husband, Wife Charged With Money Laundering

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — A Hillsborough husband and wife have been charged with money laundering and committing the criminal activity in front of a juvenile, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson announced.

The arrests on March 22 stemmed from a yearlong investigation which found that money that came from criminal activity was transferred into multiple financial accounts by Royce Hodges, 45, Katrina Hodges, 42 both of Dewitt Lane in Hillsborough and Shaun Harrell, 46.

Tens of thousands of dollars of cash deposits were found to have been made into Royce and Katrina Hodges’ bank account while there was no record of either of them working or filing New Jersey tax from 2015 until now, according to authorities.

Additionally, through search warrants police found the Hodges had $52,770.50 in cash, a 2009 Red Pontiac 8 GT, a 2009 black Mercedes Benz and a 2013 Black Cadillac.

The criminal activity was also found to have been done in front of a 13-year-old juvenile who was living at the Dewitt Lane home with Royce and Katrina Hodges, police report.

Both Royce and Katrina Hodges were arrested and lodged at the Somerset County Jail pending detention hearings. Harrell remains at large.

Royce Hodges was charged with three counts of second-degree financial facilitation of criminal activity: money laundering, one count of third-degree failure to file tax return, one count third-degree failure to pay tax return and one count of second degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Katrina Hodges was charged with one count of second-degree conspiracy to commit financial facilitation of criminal activity: money laundering and one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Harrell was charged with two counts of third-degree tax evasion.

The joint investigation was conducted by Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force with the help of the Hillsborough Police Department, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Newark Police Department and the New Jersey Division of Taxation/Treasury Office of Criminal Investigations.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Organized Crimes and Narcotics Task Force Unit at 908-231-7100, or the Hillsborough Police Department
908-369-4323, or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app can be downloaded to your smartphone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: "SOMERSETNJ."

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.888577tips.org or at www.scpo.net and click on either "Crime Stoppers" or "TIPS HOTLINE." All anonymous Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

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